Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon and Consett)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, pursuant to the Answer of 11 January 2024 to the Question 8096 on Tea: Production, how the mandate for the representatives the UK has selected to attend the UN FAO intergovernmental meeting on tea was developed; what their objectives will be for the meeting; and whether his Department has taken steps to incorporate the UK's commitments under (a) UN Sustainable Development Goal 8.7 and (b) other UN Sustainable Development Goals into these objectives.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Intergovermental Group on Tea provides advice to the FAO's Governing Bodies composed of all Member States. Advice is reviewed by the UK and other member states before decision making.
Nearly all importing and exporting countries of tea are members of the Group and send industry and research expertise in line with the Group's rules of procedure. The Group facilitates dialogue between production and consumer bodies, including on meeting policy standards, in line with the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals). The UK's Tea and Infusion Association representative is currently chair of the group and will hand over to a representative from India at the forthcoming session.
Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon and Consett)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, pursuant to the Answer of 10 January 2024 to Question 7384 on Food and Agriculture Organisation, what steps his Department is taking to avoid conflicts of interest in the UK delegation; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of sending an official from his Department to the intergovernmental forum.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Intergovermental Group on Tea provides advice to the FAO's Governing Bodies composed of all Member States. Advice is reviewed by the UK and other member states before decision making.
Nearly all importing and exporting countries of tea are members of the Group and send industry and research expertise in line with the Group's rules of procedure. The Group facilitates dialogue between production and consumer bodies, including on meeting policy standards, in line with the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals). The UK's Tea and Infusion Association representative is currently chair of the group and will hand over to a representative from India at the forthcoming session.
Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon and Consett)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, with reference to the UK's commitment to Sustainable Development Goals 8, 8.7 and 15, what discussions he has had with his international counterparts on the (a) working conditions and (b) incomes of smallholder tea producers; and whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of prices for green leaf sales on the incomes of smallholder tea producers.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell
The UK improves the livelihoods of smallholder farmers across agrifood sectors through our multilateral and bilateral programmes, including regular global donor coordination.
Our work with Wood Foundation Africa increases Rwandan smallholder tea production, creating jobs and increasing incomes. Our "Work opportunities for Women" programme enables Kenyan women tea smallholders to apply more climate-adaptive techniques. In Malawi, UK's CASA programme enabled tea out-growers and their associations to better exercise their rights with large tea estates.
The International Development White Paper restates our commitment to accelerating progress towards all Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It includes UK support to tackling modern slavery by promoting raised standards overseas.
Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon and Consett)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, who will represent the UK at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s Inter Governmental Group meeting on Tea taking place between 31 January and 2 February 2024 in India; and what their remit will be.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan
The UK representatives at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization's Intergovernmental Group meeting on Tea will be Dr Sharon Hall, Chief Executive of the UK Tea & Infusions Association and Dr Katie Donnelly of Tata Consumer Products. The representatives' remit is to engage in the Group's meeting to discuss issues related to tea, supporting the UN Food and Agriculture Organization with ongoing market appraisal and wider analysis of trends in the production, consumption, trade and prices of tea.
Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon and Consett)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the reported use of flights to and from Russia via Serbia on the effectiveness of the EU-wide ban on flights in and out of Russia; and what steps she is taking to ensure that travel-based sanctions are (a) comprehensive and (b) effective.
Answered by James Cleverly - Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
The UK has prohibited all Russian owned, operated or chartered aircraft from entering UK airspace and landing in the UK. The EU, the US and other allies have also implemented similar flight bans to Russian aircraft. We are working with our international allies and partners, to encourage other countries to introduce similar bans.
In addition, since Russia's invasion, the UK has issued travel bans and asset freezes to over a thousand of Russia's most significant and high-value individuals, this includes 18 of Russia's leading oligarchs. The travel bans imposed by the UK and EU apply wherever the individual flies from.
Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon and Consett)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his international counterparts on their Government's response to the covid-19 pandemic.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The UK Government is working closely with international partners to deliver a robust and coordinated response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including through the G7, G20 and other fora, and has been advocating for economic resilience and recovery to be at the heart of this approach. With India, the UK pressed for the G20 Action Plan that agreed a package of measures to mitigate the economic impact on the worst affected countries, including through debt relief. On 30 September, during the UN General Assembly, the Foreign Secretary co-hosted "Accelerating the End of the COVID-19 Pandemic" with the UN Secretary General, WHO Director General and Health Minister of South Africa. This event brought together world leaders, UN agencies, scientists, pharmaceutical companies and donors to pledge additional support and agree new ways of working together in the international fight against COVID. The Foreign Secretary also visited Vietnam and South Korea from 28 September to 1 October, where he discu ssed the UK's leading role in supporting global efforts to develop and equitably distribute COVID-19 vaccines. On 21 September, the Foreign Secretary and Canadian Minister Karina Gould co-chaired a meeting of the informal Development Ministers' Contact Group on COVID-19. The group includes members from the G7 and Five Eyes, plus Sweden and Norway.